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LAUNCHING INTO THE SPRING ‘SCIENCE IN OUR VALLEY’ SEMINAR SERIES

The Spring Science in the Valley Seminar Series will kick off this Wednesday, February 7th from 4-5PM at the Washington State University Graduate Research Center, 1100 N Western Ave. The seminars will rotate to Wenatchee Valley College and the Confluence Technology Center this spring. The Science series is being hosted through a collaborative partnership between the Apple STEM Network, the United States Department of Agriculture Research Station, the North Central Educational Service District, Wenatchee Valley College and Washington State University. The weekly seminars, featuring local research scientists and collaborators, is sponsored through a generous grant through Our Valley Our Future.

The Science in Our Valley Seminar series is free to attend and open to the public, but the content is intended for a ‘science-based’ audience including researchers, postdoctoral scientists, graduate students, undergraduate scientists, K-12 educators and science enthusiasts.

Local Biologist Dr. Bobbi Johnson will present the first seminar in the spring series. Her doctoral research on salmon genetics at WSU, was recently featured in Science (premier research journal), and NPR. Her seminar is titled “Seven Millenia of Change: A genetic comparison of ancient and contemporary Columbia River Chinook Salmon.”  The event will begin at 4:00pm at the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee. An informal networking opportunity will follow.

Dr. Johnson is currently supporting undergraduates in Wenatchee as they pursue their educational goals in STEM fields, as a retention specialist for the new MESA program at WVC and serves as the STEM specialist for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at WVC. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from South Dakota State University in 2010 and a Doctorate in Biology from Washington State University in 2016. Dr. Johnson is interested in the relationship between self-concept and academic attainment.

Upcoming seminars will include:

February 14: “For the Love of Science” – 5 Lightning talks by current WSU graduate students in the Grove Auditorium at WVC

February 21: Dave Carlson of Giga Watt – Blockchain Technology and Data Mining – at the Confluence Technology Center

February 28: Doctoral Candidate, Alix Whitener of WSU will speak on Behavior and pest management of Drosophila in the Grove Auditorium at WVC

Stay current on upcoming seminars by subscribing to the Apple STEM Network Facebook page or finding the Apple STEM Network on Twitter, or through the North Central Educational Service District website.

The Apple STEM Network is a three-dimensional alliance of K-12, Higher Ed and community partners seeded at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers, including the cities of Cashmere, Wenatchee, East Wenatchee and Quincy in Chelan, Douglas, and Grant counties. We represent a diverse region with tremendous potential for STEM industry in agriculture, energies and innovation. With our collective effort we intend to: provide a constructive support system for educators who aim to meet the rising challenge for all students to develop 21st century skills and STEM literacy, to integrate community mentorship and promote authentic project-based learning and field experiences for all levels of education, and engage students in exploring the world of opportunities on the horizon through STEM.

The North Central Educational Service District is a resource to the 29 districts within the four-county service area, providing professional and timely tools to meet the needs of individual schools and districts, and a reliable point of education-related information for the communities served. The NCESD is a respected resource to other ESDs throughout Washington State.

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